Ashburton Courier: July 29, 2021
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
NEWS<br />
35 <strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>July</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Nitrate testing<br />
results aconcern<br />
Greenpeace is calling on<br />
EnvironmentCanterbury<br />
(ECan)to be upfrontabout<br />
health risks of nitrate<br />
contamination, following the<br />
release of new data that shows<br />
nitrate contamination in<br />
drinking water is rising.<br />
ECan has released the<br />
results of its annual<br />
groundwater quality survey for<br />
2020.Some322 wells were<br />
tested, with the highest nitrate<br />
reading of 22mg/L being almost<br />
double the current health limit<br />
for drinking water (11.3mg/L).<br />
Twenty wells tested by ECan<br />
wereabove the11.3mg/L limit,<br />
with 13 of thoseinthe<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>area.<br />
Greenpeace conducted free<br />
watertesting in <strong>Ashburton</strong>on<br />
the <strong>July</strong> 10, testing 101<br />
samples, with 10 being over the<br />
current healthlimit and<br />
around 90 percent overthe<br />
nitrate concentration linked to<br />
bowel cancer.<br />
Greenpeace says ECan’s<br />
data is consistent with<br />
Greenpeace’s own results from<br />
free nitrate water testing days<br />
across Canterbury,with both<br />
datasets showing concerningly<br />
high and worsening levels of<br />
nitrate.<br />
Greenpeace senior<br />
campaigner SteveAbel says<br />
ECan’s comments on the data<br />
do nottell thewhole story<br />
aboutthe risks of nitrate<br />
contamination.<br />
‘‘The current message from<br />
ECanisthat if your water is<br />
anywhere under that<br />
extremely highcontamination<br />
rate of 11.3mg per litre of<br />
nitrate, then it’s safe to drink.<br />
That denies the emerging<br />
science showing adverse<br />
health effects wellbelow that<br />
limit,’’ Mr Abelsaid.<br />
Amajor2018 Danish study<br />
has shown asignificantly<br />
increased riskof bowel cancer<br />
at just0.87mg/L of nitrate<br />
contamination in drinking<br />
water.<br />
At 5mg/L, nitrate<br />
contamination in drinking<br />
waterhas been shown to<br />
increase risk of premature<br />
birthsbyhalf, prompting the<br />
NZ College of Midwivestocall<br />
on the Government to lower<br />
the current 11.3mg/L limit.<br />
‘‘This emerging research is<br />
tellingus that there’s ahealth<br />
risk with nitrate<br />
contamination in water at<br />
much lower levels than<br />
previously thought. With<br />
nitrate contamination steadily<br />
worsening acrossCanterbury,<br />
ECan needs to be upfront with<br />
communities about the chronic<br />
healthrisks of nitrate<br />
contamination in drinking<br />
water,’’ he said.<br />
Greenpeacehas now tested<br />
over 450 water samples across<br />
the Canterbury region and is<br />
calling on the Governmentto<br />
take the nitrate health risk<br />
seriously by lowering the limit<br />
for nitrate permitted in<br />
drinkingwater, from 11.3mg/L<br />
to 0.87mg/L.<br />
Anna Jemmett and daughter Freya painted this red mini artwork on aChoruscabinet early this year.<br />
Cabinet artists needed<br />
Local budding artists arebeing<br />
asked to send in designs that<br />
will bring somecolour to their<br />
neighbourhoodsthrough the<br />
Chorus cabinet art programme.<br />
Chorus is working with the<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>District Council to<br />
deliver the programme, which<br />
will see new fivecabinets in<br />
town painted.<br />
One of them will be a<br />
Rainbow cabinet,which will<br />
celebrate andsupport diversity<br />
andinclusioninthe<br />
community.<br />
The idea behindthe artworks<br />
is that they willtell astory<br />
about the community and help<br />
foster pride.<br />
Having art on the cabinets is<br />
alsoseen as away to discourage<br />
graffiti.<br />
Designs on other local<br />
cabinets painted in recent<br />
monthsinclude afavourite red<br />
mini, asacred tree, native<br />
birds, asnapshot of what the<br />
district has to offer andand<br />
lawn bowls.<br />
Design ideas can submitted<br />
online through the Chorus<br />
website and close on<br />
September 1.<br />
Chosen artists need to be able<br />
to complete their workbythe<br />
end of Marchnext year.<br />
77 Grove Street, Tinwald 2 1 2<br />
Do you want afabulous home where all the hard work has already been done and you can just<br />
move in? This home has been renovated to a very high standard. New carpet, vinyl, drapes,<br />
blinds, wall colours, downlights, ultra low emission Masport Logbunrner (2020), DVS system,<br />
new wiring (<strong>2021</strong>), double glazed and tinted aluminium windows throughout the entire home.<br />
Two generous double sized bedrooms run off the central hallway and an office nook has<br />
been cleverly made at the end of the hallway. This home has a double garage with auto<br />
door and plenty of space for the children or pets to run around on this large 840m2 section.<br />
Deadline sale closing Tuesday17th August <strong>2021</strong> at 3:00pm(Unless SoldPrior)<br />
Ray White Mid Canterbury 03 307 8317 96 Tancred Street, <strong>Ashburton</strong> 7700 rwashburton.co.nz<br />
Real Estate Mid Canterbury Property Limited Licensed (REAA 2008)<br />
Contactmefor<br />
moreinformation<br />
or aprivate<br />
viewingonthis<br />
property.<br />
Cheryl Fowler<br />
0274 612614<br />
cheryl.fowler@raywhite.com
Change language